Assisted living in Kentucky: how it is licensed.
Who licenses assisted living in Kentucky, and what to check before you choose.
What Kentucky calls it
In Kentucky, assisted living is licensed under the term “Assisted Living Community”. Other states use different names, so it helps to know the exact term when you search.
Who licenses and inspects
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General, Division of Health Care is the agency that licenses these communities. It is the official place to check a community’s license and inspection history.
Memory care
Kentucky has a separate license type for assisted living communities with dementia care (ALC-DC).
Paying for care
Medicare generally does not cover long term custodial care.
Kentucky's Home and Community Based (HCB) waiver may help people age 65 or older, or with a physical disability, who are Medicaid-eligible and meet level-of-care requirements, with services such as adult day health care, personal care and respite. The state page does not mention assisted living, and eligibility rules apply.
Help and complaints
Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program supports residents of long term care and their families.
Also worth knowing in Kentucky
Kentucky's assisted living community rule is 902 KAR 20:480; the state's FAQ says residents sharing a unit may choose a roommate, and lease terms must follow the elements required by KRS 194A.713.
Sources we checked (October 2026)
Licensing rules change. We checked the pages below. Confirm with the state agency.
Questions
Who regulates assisted living in Kentucky?
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General, Division of Health Care.